County debates rural water lines to ensure residents have access to drinking water

Chairman says water systems should be responsible for cost

During the past 20 years, the Tuscaloosa County Commission has spent millions to ensure that people in rural areas have access to clean drinking water by helping expand water lines.

AP Photo/Brizo

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 12:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 12:09 a.m.

During the past 20 years, the Tuscaloosa County Commission has spent millions to ensure that people in rural areas have access to clean drinking water by helping expand water lines.

However, it’s time the county’s water authorities consider stepping up and paying for needed expansion projects through their water rates and not depend on the county to pay for it, said County Commission Chairman Hardy McCollum.

“I love for people to get water, and I’ll fight for people to get water, but these water authorities have to take responsibility in their rate structure for future expansion,” McCollum said. “They have a monopoly on areas, and if they want a monopoly, they need to be able to serve those areas.”

A heated discussion arose Wednesday when Commissioner Stan Acker and Commissioner Reginald Murray both brought water extension projects before the commission for approval.

Acker’s request would have extended a line on public right of way in the Carroll’s Creek Water Authority area, bringing water to four homes on a single piece of property that now depend on wells.

Murray requested expansion of a water line on Hillview Road from Libby Road to Pate Road, part of the Coker Water Authority. That project would also be a benefit to about three residences, he said.

During the meeting,

McCollum questioned the legality of using public funds to extend a water line that would benefit a single property owner or benefit land that could later be used for development.

As long as it’s on the public right of way, it is legal, said County Attorney Robert Spence.

“I agree this should be built into a rate structure of the water authorities, but this is a political question,” Spence told the commission.

There needs to be an official policy in place for the county to go by when it comes to funding water extension projects, suggested Commissioner Jerry Tingle.

Acker agreed.

“I don’t want us to always have to reinvent the wheel every time we get one of these projects,” Acker said. “I want us to have a standard procedure we can follow and our staff to follow and all of us commissioners to be held to that policy.”

In the 1990s, Tuscaloosa County helped multiple rural water systems expand their systems through applying for grants, said county planner Farrington Snipes, and the matching funds required by the grants were paid for by the water authorities, he said.

“The county helped fund multiple millions of dollars in water extension projects through those grants,” Snipes said.

But, by the early 2000s, the number of large-scale water extension projects had been exhausted, and the smaller projects that impacted fewer homes weren’t usually eligible for grants, Snipes said. Around 2001, the county adopted an informal policy in which rural water authorities were to pay 50 percent of the project and the county would pay the other 50 percent.

“When the county set up its policy, it worked well. We had over $2 million in projects during that cycle,” Murray said.

“There was not a written, adopted procedure, but it was a way the commission tried to help pick up additional areas around the county that weren’t grant eligible,” Snipes said.

Over time, the policy was abandoned, Snipes told the Commission Wednesday.

“That’s why we have a history in the last 10 years of being all over the map,” Acker said, referring to various water extension projects funded by the county.

“The problem is, the [extensions] are being initiated by individuals and the commission and not by the water authorities,” McCollum said.

Acker requested that Spence look into any legal issues regarding water extension projects, including the one he proposed off Alabama Highway 69 North. The commission also requested that Snipes work with Spence to help the commission come up with a formal policy regarding water extension projects.

“I’m an advocate of getting good, clean water to the rural areas if we can do it in a financially responsible way,” Acker said.

<p>During the past 20 years, the Tuscaloosa County Commission has spent millions to ensure that people in rural areas have access to clean drinking water by helping expand water lines.</p><p>However, it's time the county's water authorities consider stepping up and paying for needed expansion projects through their water rates and not depend on the county to pay for it, said County Commission Chairman Hardy McCollum.</p><p>“I love for people to get water, and I'll fight for people to get water, but these water authorities have to take responsibility in their rate structure for future expansion,” McCollum said. “They have a monopoly on areas, and if they want a monopoly, they need to be able to serve those areas.”</p><p>A heated discussion arose Wednesday when Commissioner Stan Acker and Commissioner Reginald Murray both brought water extension projects before the commission for approval.</p><p>Acker's request would have extended a line on public right of way in the Carroll's Creek Water Authority area, bringing water to four homes on a single piece of property that now depend on wells.</p><p>Murray requested expansion of a water line on Hillview Road from Libby Road to Pate Road, part of the Coker Water Authority. That project would also be a benefit to about three residences, he said. </p><p>During the meeting, </p><p>McCollum questioned the legality of using public funds to extend a water line that would benefit a single property owner or benefit land that could later be used for development.</p><p>As long as it's on the public right of way, it is legal, said County Attorney Robert Spence.</p><p>“I agree this should be built into a rate structure of the water authorities, but this is a political question,” Spence told the commission.</p><p>There needs to be an official policy in place for the county to go by when it comes to funding water extension projects, suggested Commissioner Jerry Tingle.</p><p>Acker agreed.</p><p>“I don't want us to always have to reinvent the wheel every time we get one of these projects,” Acker said. “I want us to have a standard procedure we can follow and our staff to follow and all of us commissioners to be held to that policy.”</p><p>In the 1990s, Tuscaloosa County helped multiple rural water systems expand their systems through applying for grants, said county planner Farrington Snipes, and the matching funds required by the grants were paid for by the water authorities, he said. </p><p>“The county helped fund multiple millions of dollars in water extension projects through those grants,” Snipes said. </p><p>But, by the early 2000s, the number of large-scale water extension projects had been exhausted, and the smaller projects that impacted fewer homes weren't usually eligible for grants, Snipes said. Around 2001, the county adopted an informal policy in which rural water authorities were to pay 50 percent of the project and the county would pay the other 50 percent.</p><p>“When the county set up its policy, it worked well. We had over $2 million in projects during that cycle,” Murray said. </p><p>“There was not a written, adopted procedure, but it was a way the commission tried to help pick up additional areas around the county that weren't grant eligible,” Snipes said. </p><p>Over time, the policy was abandoned, Snipes told the Commission Wednesday.</p><p>“That's why we have a history in the last 10 years of being all over the map,” Acker said, referring to various water extension projects funded by the county.</p><p>“The problem is, the [extensions] are being initiated by individuals and the commission and not by the water authorities,” McCollum said.</p><p>Acker requested that Spence look into any legal issues regarding water extension projects, including the one he proposed off Alabama Highway 69 North. The commission also requested that Snipes work with Spence to help the commission come up with a formal policy regarding water extension projects. </p><p>“I'm an advocate of getting good, clean water to the rural areas if we can do it in a financially responsible way,” Acker said.</p><p>Reach Lydia Seabol Avant at 205-722-0222 or lydia.seabolavant@tuscaloosanews.com.</p>